Story Snippet from New Witch On Campus

Here is a snippet from the first draft of my second book in my Witches of Coolersville series, New Witch on Campus. I'm having so much fun writing this and I've definitely turned up the drama level as this scene shows. Enjoy!

“You didn’t have to be so rude back there,” Tara continued. “You embarrassed me in front of my friends.”

“Oh, your new boyfriend?” Henry demanded.

“He’s not my boyfriend, you idiot,” said Tara. “You are. Michael’s just a friend.”

Henry let out a short laugh that sounded almost like a bark. “Oh, is he? He seemed to be getting pretty cozy over there. Applied for the same school as you. You and Marissa suggesting he work for your grandma. I saw the way he was looking at you. He’s got more than friendship on his mind. He might even be in love with you.”

Tara was taken aback at this statement. She tried to will herself to keep her expression indifferent but she felt the heat rise in her cheeks. “And, how do you know that, Henry James?” He winced when she used his first and middle name. “Are you psychic all of a sudden?”

“I know because it’s the same way I feel about you!” he shouted.

Tara glared at him. “Well, aren’t you just…” Suddenly what he said hit her. “Wait… what?”

Henry sighed. “That’s not how I wanted to tell you. But, I love you, Tara. And, I’m pissed at you at the same time.” He waited for a minute. “Well, don’t just stare at me. Say something, damn you!”

Tara just gaped at him. Her mind was screaming a thousand different things but she couldn’t get her voice to work. Henry rolled his eyes and turned to go and she forced herself to speak. “Don’t get mad at me. You freakin’ blindsided me! I don’t know what to say. You can’t blame me for that.”

“Whatever,” grumbled Henry. “Let me know when you have something to say. See you in class.” He walked away and she stood rooted to the spot for what felt like an eternity.

Book Review: The White Queen

Book- The White Queen
Author- Philippa Gregory
Goodreads Rating- 3 Stars
Actual Rating- 3.5 Stars

Oh, hey! This is my 100th post on my blog! Woo!

I love Philippa Gregory books so when I saw this series, nearly the whole thing, at Half-Price Books, I grabbed it and couldn't wait to read it. Her telling of historical events, obviously embellished because it's fiction has always interested me and the facts she uses gets me interested enough to research the time period more.

This first book in the Cousins War series was no exception. I have read and watched plenty of things about the Tudors but I just sort of glossed over the people before them and the story behind their rise to power. This first book focuses on Elizabeth Woodville, the mother of Elizabeth of York who became the wife of Henry Tudor or Henry VII. It's a beautiful tale with love and court drama and huge battles with a touch of fantasy. Elizabeth's family have a tradition in her mother's side where they believe they are descendants of a water goddess and practice magic. This, of course, is forbidden during this time but they pull it off by being discrete and the high position Elizabeth eventually rises to helps shield her from question... for the most part.

I read in the author's not that in Philippa Gregory's research, this was a fact and so she capitalized on it in her story in a way you'll have to read for yourself because I don't want to give too much away.

Elizabeth Woodville is a historical figure who seems to be a footnote in a lot of sources. I'm interested to read some more about her and find out why. I like the way she is portrayed in this story. A highly passionate, highly ambitious woman. She had a great love for her husband and her family. Much mystery still surrounds the fate of her boys, known now as the Princes of the Tower. This story mixed fact with fantasy enough to peek my interest in her and her family.

There were parts in this book that did get slow and boring. It took me a while to finish it. (I also started it around the holidays so that didn't help either) But, despite that, I am still interested enough to continue reading in the series and I can't wait to see what book 2 has in store.

All the 2014 Things and Looking Forward to 2015

Wow. Where did the year go? It seems like last week I was hanging out with my friends and family, ready to ring in 2014. I had so much planned in my mind. I was turning 30. I was working on my writing. I was planning on traveling more and doing all kinds of fun and exciting things. And now I'm laying in bed during the first hour of the last day of that year wondering one thing. "What the hell happened to 2014?"

A hashtag began circulating Twitter about two weeks ago. #2014in5words Well, my 5 words are these. "Did not go as planned." This is true for the two major events of this year. My cousin, Dee, passing away in June at only age 44 and my health scare in July when I developed a deep vein clot in my right leg which left me hospitalized for a whole weekend and off work for 6 weeks. (I'm still not 100% from that.) But, these things were not anyone's fault and beyond anyone's control. And, it taught me a few valuable lessons:
1) Treasure every day you have. You never know what's going to happen to you so take an extra minute in the morning and say, "I'm awake. I'm breathing. I'm off to a good start." Even if you're not in the best of health, every day is a new chance so make a point to be healthier and improve your quality of life.
2) Family is everything. Now, I know there are family members we don't get along with. Either we are not that close to them or something went down and we're completely not on speaking terms. Whatever. Everyone has a situation like that. But, when something happens, you know which people in your family (and among your friends) who will stick by you through everything and hold your hand to keep you calm, even when they're terrified right with you. The ones who hold back the tears so you can sob your heart out in their arms. The ones who will cry right along with you and share a box of extra large tissue with you.
3) Sometimes life throws you a curve ball. You can either let it hit you and knock you down or roll with it and continue on as best you can. Yeah, these, and other, things happened. Yeah, some plans got pushed aside or canceled completely. But, as long as I remembered the first two lessons, I was able to keep going and make the best of what did happen that was positive in my life.

I also failed my reading challenge. I had planned to read 50 books. I think my final count was 12? But, I'm not a fast reader and I was distracted with stuff! Like being in the hospital. More on that later.

2014 wasn't all bad. I did have a lot of fun and am nearer to accomplishing a lifelong dream than I ever imagined I would be! I turned 30. My sister and her boyfriend came over and we had cake and ice cream and it's always a bunch of laughs when they're over.

I went to ComicCon again with my boyfriend in Octover., and this time we were able to stay in Columbus so it was like our first vacation together. We were able to wander the city this time and I not only got to see Jason David Frank again but I met Nicholas Brendan for the first time! I even made a new friend named Shaun while standing in line and met this lovely cosplayer/model named Samantha. I bought books from writers and talked about my own work in progress which was really exciting. And, I can't wait til Comic Con comes to Cleveland in February! It's going to be so much fun!

Also this year I finally entered the 21st century and got my first smart phone! Yay technology! I got a Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini. I love this thing. I don't know how I ever lived without a smart phone before. I keep notes and my calendar and pictures. I can blog on it. I can keep up on the social medias easier.

And, finally, the best thing ever! I am just weeks away from publishing my first book! EEEEE!! I received my proof copy of my novella, Witches of Coolersville, on December 23rd, 2014! I'm going over it and plan on making a few changes to the content and the cover. But, it's happening! I'll be a published author in 2015! How exciting is that! I also started book 2 during my second consecutive victorious year participating in NaNoWriMo but it is currently in rewrite because I wrote 50,000 words of slop that I need to clean up in order to have a sequel that is equally as good as the first book.

So, that's an overview of some of the things in 2014. Now, on to 2015!!

Here are some of my goals/resolutions for 2015 (no order)-
1) Reading Challenge- I downloaded from Pinterest this reading challenge that looks like fun and I'll see how far I'll get on it. It's a list of different types of books to read in the coming year, like a book with a single word title. Or, a book with a color in the title. A book that came out the year you were born, that kind of thing. I'll copy the list into another entry so you can take a crack at it as well. It looks like it could be fun and maybe I'll do a better job at that than just picking a number and feeling pressured to meet the goal.
2) Move my rear out of my parents' house! For goodness sake, I'm going to be 31 this year. Time to get a move on. We'll see what the future holds for me in that department. I'll be sure to keep you all posted.
3) Stay healthy- This includes a number of things. Being more active. I'm going to try and take the pup for walks more often. I'm going to buy more juice and lay off the pop. I'll take my medicines and wear my compression braces so I don't end up in the hospital again. All that and more.
4) Continue writing- I'm so close to publishing book 1 and working on book 2. How can I stop now? I've dreamed about being a published author and seeing my name on shelves for years and years and it's finally going to happen!
5) Travel more- Returning to Columbus for ComicCon, taking weekend trips with my boyfriend or my girls. Whether it's just a drive up north to the beach or going out of state, I love to travel and see what else is outside my little town. It could provide more information and inspiration for future stories. And it's just nice to get away.
6) Buy a new computer, editing software, and an actual camcorder for the YouTubes. I'm bored with Windows Movie Maker and my current camera doesn't have the quality I want. And, my computer has certainly seen better days. Time for an upgrade. I'll probably use this one still for some things until it dies on me but I could use something new and better.

Here are my most anticipated things for 2015.
Book- Lion Heart by AC Gaughen. It's the final in the Scarlet trilogy which is a fabulous Robin Hood retelling tale. I've read the first one and when I get my hands on the third in May I'll marathon the whole trilogy.
Movie- Mockingjay Part 2! What more needs to be said?
TV- The Musketeers! Season 2 of the Musketeers is some time in January, I think. I loved the first season and I'm kinda sad Peter Capaldi won't be in it because he makes a wonderful Cardinal. But, he's obviously busy with Doctor Who now so we shall see how the new villain works out. I love me some good looking men with swords.

That's all for me right now. I'll also go ahead and post the 2015 reading challenge. Once I am able to update my web site, I'll have the list there with my progress and titles of what I've read.

Have a safe and happy new year!
Carey

NaNoWriMo 2014 Wrap-Up

Ha! So much for blogging every day. I see how well I succeeded at that. Except not really. Oops. Story of my life this entire year. Time just gets away from me so quickly! I don't like it.

Well, I did it! I managed to somehow win NaNoWriMo. From Day 8 on I was consistently behind. I did catch up on Day 15 with a 6,000 word writing day but I had such a mental drain afterward that I didn't write for 2 or 3 days. And then, I'd slowly start to catch up and then not write for a few days. But, my some miracle, I managed.

It was a combination of things. Some of it was work related. Working in retail around the holiday season is madness. Some of it was me having days where I just felt like complete crap. I was exhausted and hurting. When I had days where my RA symptoms flared up, I'd take a muscle relaxer. And that would dull the pain but it would put me in a mental fog the whole next day. Which is why I hate taking those things! And, some of it was just being busy. I had a couple events. ComicCon, of course, and a family clam bake. Thanksgiving Day was madness and running around. My sister and our friend went to see MockingJay and then I had a white knuckle drive home in a white-out. Like I said, time just got away from me.

Do I like what I wrote? Hell to the no! It's a pile of slop that I somehow need to organize into a coherent sequel to my first novel. How am I going to do this? I have no idea. But, it will get done. Somehow. I will figure out a way even if I have to rewrite it all over again. But, I am determined to get it done in some form or another. I am actually taking advantage of the 30 Day Trial of Scrivener so I can better organize my notes and what I have written. When I get the money, probably after Christmas, I will treat myself to the full version with my winner code. It is downloading while I write this.

In other news, I am going to start a new extension to my series of blogs. Right now I have this one, which is writing and life and a little of everything. I also have my travel one. That one is fairly uneventful so far since I've only been on one trip since starting it. But, the next one will be artsy crafty. I got the idea while shopping for holiday gifts. I am making just about all my presents so I am going to be documenting what I make and how I do so. I will include links to where I found the idea, directions, and pictures. I've taken a few pictures already so once I upload those I will be setting up posts for future publication. Links will be in future blogs as well as shared via social media.

That is all for now. I'm off to get some sleep. Busy weekend ahead.

Bye!
Carey

NaNoWriMo Day 5

My Word Count: 6,662
Today's Goal: 8,335

Yeeah, I'm a little behind. I still have time to bust out words because I have not gone to sleep yet! I will keep writing until the need for sleep overwhelms me. That's kind of what happened last night. I was writing and writing and all of a sudden I couldn't focus anymore. Fortunately, it was just copying what I had handwritten while I was watching my boyfriend at his bowling league so it wasn't hard to type. But, I was just shy of yesterday's goal.

I just updated my YouTube with a new video today. I included a clip from a Q&A session I attended with Jason David Frank, someone I had the privilege to meet twice already. And, he talks about being disciplined in whatever you are trying to do. And the timing of hearing this was kind of perfect.

Since this was while at ComicCon, it was November 1 and I was thinking about all the writing I was not going to be completing when my boyfriend and I returned home that night. But, I was also thinking about all the work I had already put into my stories in the past several months. Beginning in February, I began jotting down ideas, working out a sort of timeline of my series and what I would like to see happen in each book. Then, in March, outlining book 1, writing during Camp NaNoWriMo, spending months editing and rewriting and researching self publishing, and now working on book 2, and possibly 3. How many times did I not watch the YouTube video I wanted to see because I had to write? When did I turn a hang out with one of my friends into a writing session so I could meet my word goal? How many emails did I send back and forth to my beta reader for revision advice? All of that took time and dedication and the discipline to say, "No matter what, I'm going to complete this task."

So, this is my challenge to all my readers. I extended this to my YouTube viewers as well. What is something you've always wanted to accomplish but you have been putting off or allowed yourself to be distracted from? Are you writing a novel like me? Are you anywhere in the revision process? Have you decided to quit smoking or do you want to work out more to become healthier? Are you working on artwork of some kind? Photography, drawing, painting, sculpting, graphic design? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on social media and let me know how you're doing. Let's work together and be accountability partners. I'm more than happy to cheer you on in whatever you're doing. Because it is so rewarding to look back on something you've worked extra hard on and say, "Wow. I did that. I really did that. Now, I feel like I can do anything!"

NaNoWriMo Day 4

My Word Count: 6,300
Today's Goal: 6,668

Still a little behind but not so much that I have to worry. And, there's still some time in the day left to write so I can easily bust out a few hundred words to keep pace with the goal. Tomorrow, I can write after work and Thursday I plan on doing massive amounts of writing in order to get far ahead and then I have even less to worry about. I'm happy with where my story is going. Created some romantic drama between my main character and her love interest. A little more back-story is revealed about some of my supporting cast in this volume. I'm excited to keep going.

NaNoWriMo Day 3

My Word Count: 5,148
Today's Goal: 5,000

Caught up and then some! WOO! Been writing since I got home from work. Did take a small break to edit a haul video from the convention but that didn't take very long. I'm pleased at how far I've gotten in a short time, considering how much by brain hurt after those first 500 or so words Saturday night. Don't write while exhausted. It's actually quite painful.

NaNoWriMo Day 2

My Word Count: 2134
Today's Goal: 3,334

Woo! Wrote a lot today! Did some in the morning and then a little while at my family's, thanks to bringing my tablet along, and then dove in when I got home. Now, I'm only 800 words behind. Easily manageable. Tomorrow's goal is 5,001. Depending on how tired I am after work, I can easily catch up.

NaNoWriMo Day 1

My Word Count: 538
Today's Goal: 1,667

Managed to get a little writing done today when I got home from Columbus. Will see what I can get done tomorrow. Behind but not a bad start considering how exhausted I am. I got an opening scene done featuring the villain in this story. Really liking it. I have a family clam bake tomorrow so, again, don't know how much writing I'll get done. But, we'll see what happens.

September Writing Challenge- Day 28

Prompt- Write about your sibling(s)

This is appropriate, seeing as it is my sister's birthday today. You'd think I planned to get this prompt today... Oh, wait! I did! ^_^

So, what to say about my little sister?

We'll start with a picture. Best way to go, I suppose. Here's last Christmas.

We're about 5 years apart in age. She loves to say that she never worries about getting old because I'll always be older. That may be true, but I've been told I look like the younger one. We've also been asked if we were twins and I just don't see it. Yeah, you can tell we're sisters. But, twins? Don't get it.

We have opposite personalities. I'm quieter and bookish. I keep my mouth shut, even when mad, unless highly provoked or pushed. I tend to keep things PC to avoid drama. She doesn't sugar coat. She'll tell you right off if she doesn't like you. Or, she just won't talk to you at all. She loves to antagonize and tease, but that runs in the family. We've both done our fair share of torment on each other.

Our relationship has changed over the years, as all do. But, for the better, I think. When we were little, we fought like cats. Sometimes ending with at least one of us in tears. And, the occasional bloodshed. Like the one time I tried to block her from coming into the bedroom and I got knocked into a nightstand. Still have a scar on my back. And, then, there was the time I ended up in the ER after she hit a baseball at my head. But, that was a complete accident.

We've grown up. Sure, we have our little spats once in a while but it's what siblings do. And, as part of growing up, our crazy lives mean we don't get to see each other much. But, we try as often as we can, whether it's just us going to lunch, a double date with the boys, or dinner with the family.

She's a tough cookie. I tend to wear my emotions on my sleeve. She keeps things in pretty well. I'm sure she rages and screams and throws things when alone. But, while I'm sobbing away, she keeps up a tough act.

We stick up for each other. Only one time have I really had an opportunity to defend her. Back in college, I never got reception with the cell service we had at the time while on campus. So, my mom would pick my sister up from school and send her in to get me. One day, a guy in the group I hung around with asked who she was. "My sister," I said. "Ooh, is she single? She's cute." "She's SIXTEEN," I snapped. (The guy was 22) "Okaay, not so cute anymore." He backed off and we all poked fun.

Basically, my sister is my first best friend and I couldn't ask for anyone better.

Carey